I Still Love You
by Learis95
Summary: Takes place during the car scene of The Doctor in the Photo and what happens afterwards. Booth is trying to cheer Brennan up on their day off. Will they be able to control their emotions?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright well this is my first Bones story! I got the idea the moment I saw the car scene in The Doctor In The Picture episode. Hope you guys like it (:**

"I don't want to have any regrets."

"I'm with someone, Bones, and Hannah, she's not a consolation prize. I love her… You know the last thing I want to do is hurt you, but those are the facts."

"I understand. I missed my chance." She dropped her head and started crying quietly. Booth looked over. "My whole world turned upside down. I can adjust.

He really hated seeing her upset. He had never seen her so sad before, and it broke his heart. He wanted to make the tears go away. Not knowing what else to do, he reached his hand out to her and lightly touched her shoulder comfortingly. She reached up and covered his big hand with her smaller one.

"it'll be ok Bones. You're not alone. And one day, you will find someone who will love you, and whom you will love back," he said reassuringly.

"But he won't be you," she said through a fresh wave of tears, her voice cracking. He hated himself for hurting her like this. He wanted to make everything better, but he didn't know how. His hand found its way up to her cheek, and he gently wiped the tears away with his thumb. She looked at him sadly, but his gesture had lighted a tiny spark in her. A small shred of hope that one day, maybe soon, maybe not, he would love her again, and give her another chance. And she decided then and there that she wouldn't let this one slip by her.

They pulled up in front on Brennan's apartment building, and Booth hopped out of the driver's seat and walked around the front of the car to open the door for her. They silently made their way up the steps to her door. Once they were standing in front of it, Brennan turned to Booth.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly. He knew what she was talking about: she was sorry for not giving him a chance and for breaking his heart.

She started to turn to unlock her door, but before she could, Booth pulled her into his arms. His embrace was warm and comforting, and made her a little less despairing.

After a while he pulled back. She looked up at him with big, watery eyes filled with sadness. He wished he could bring the light back in them. 'I can't ' he thought. 'I love Hannah, and even though I love Bones too, I couldn't do that too her.' He kept repeating 'I love Hannah' to keep himself from pulling Bones back into his arms and never letting go.

"Good night, Booth." she said as she turned the knob on her door and entered her apartment.

"Night Bones." he replied after her. He slowly walked back down the stairs, thinking about Bones and Hannah, and what could have happened if she hadn't said no so long ago.

The next day there were no cases, which was good for Brennan. She needed some time to get herself back together. Booth decided to take the day off so he could spend it with her.

He entered the Jeffersonian and walked to Brennan's office. He poked his head around the door and saw her sitting silently at her desk. This worried him because she never stops working. She should at least be filling out paperwork.

He walked into the office to make himself known, and set down a box of donuts. She smiled as he took a seat across from her.

"Mornin' Bones," he said brightly. "I brought you breakfast since I know you haven't eaten yet today." He smiled.

"Thanks Booth." She grabbed for the box and picked up a donut. Booth always knew how to make her feel better.

"There's no case today, what do you say we take the day off?" he asked hopefully.

"Booth I can't. There are things that need done."

"Nothing that can't wait till tomorrow," he said.

She knew he was right, but she never missed work, and she didn't know what she would do all day.

"Don't worry, Cam will understand. You had a stressful day yesterday, and you need a break. I already took the day off, so we're set!" Brennan couldn't help but smile at the thought of spending the whole day with Booth.

"Okay," she said, and took another donut. "After breakfast, I will go talk to Cam." Booth smiled victoriously.

15 minutes later when they had finished their meal, they got up to look for Cam. They found her in her office, looking over some documents. Brennan approached her desk slowly, and Cam looked up.

"Is there something I can do for you, Dr Brennan?"

"Yes, I would like to take the day off," she stated matter-of-factly. This took Cam by surprise, and worried her.

"Ok. You have my permission, but are you alright? You never take the day off." she said, concern showing on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine; Booth just thinks it would be good for me to take a break." Cam looked to Booth and he smiled affirmatively.

"Alright. Have fun," she dismissed.

**That's the end of chapter one! Please review. I have more written, and will be posting soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright next chapter! Just a warning: most updates will not be this fast (probably), but since I already had this written I decided to post it. Enjoy!**

Booth had been planning what to do on their day off all morning. He wanted to do something special that would make her eyes shine and her smile glow like they had done just a couple days before.

Before she discovered she loved him. Before he realized he still loved her. 'No,' he thought. 'I don't love her anymore. I love Hannah, and that will never change.' He tried to make himself believe it, but he just couldn't. He could never stop loving Temperance Brennan. He loved Hannah too, though, and he was determined to hold onto that.

They were in the FBI's black SUV driving down a scarcely populated road. Even though he wasn't working, Booth wanted to take the SUV. There was just something about it that felt right.

"Booth, where are we going?" Brennan asked curiously, but with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She really wasn't one for surprises. She liked to know what was going on, and be in control of the situation.

"It's a surprise, Bones," he said lightly, offering a small smile. He knew she didn't like surprises, but if he told her it wouldn't feel as special.

"Come on, just tell me. You know how much I dislike surprises!"

"If I told you, it wouldn't feel as special to me," he said, his eyes pleading with her to stop asking. He really didn't want to tell her, but if she kept asking he knew he couldn't resist. He always ended up giving her what she wanted.

Luckily for him, she realized how much it meant to him, so she shut up. But she didn't have to stay quiet for long. Just then they pulled into a parking space, and she knew they were there.

It was Wong Foo, the place Sid owned. Brennan remembered her skepticism when she was first told that Sid always knew what you wanted to eat, and that you never had to order. She had come to accept it now, even though she didn't understand it. This was unusual for her, she normally wouldn't accept something if there wasn't some logical explanation.

She looked at Booth and smiled brightly, the memory of their first cases together as partners rushing back to her. After she had gotten over not liking him back then, they had had good times together. She missed the simplicity of those days, when emotions weren't tangling everything up and making it so confusing she didn't know when to laugh and when to cry.

"Booth I'm not hungry, we just ate," she said.

"That's ok. Sid will know what you want anyway."

She had to admit that even though they had just eaten breakfast, she could not think of a place she would rather be on her day off.

Just then Sid walked up. He saw who it was and greeted them cheerfully. "Hey guys! I haven't seen you around here in forever! What's going on?"

We're taking the day off today, and I wanted to take Dr. Brennan, here," he said, nodding in her direction, "somewhere special. It's been a stressful week."

"So have you guys gotten together yet?" he asked. This question made Brennan stiffen and a hurt expression flash across her face. Booth stood a little shocked, but quickly recovered.

"No, I'm dating a girl named Hannah. She is really amazing. But can we, uh, not talk about this right now?"

"Sure," Sid replied. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was such a sensitive topic. I will be right out with your guys's food." And with that he turned around and headed back to the kitchen.

Booth and Brennan sat a little awkwardly, the topic of them and Hannah filling the air with tension.

Booth couldn't take the tension. He brought them there to make things right and to help Bones become happy again. He broke the silence, and with it the tension.

"So Bones, whaddya think? Good choice for our day off?" he asked, looking around the room.

"It's perfect, Booth. I've missed this place so much." she said, admiring her surroundings and thinking of all the happy memories that had taken place right here.

He glanced over to look at her, and she met his eyes. His mouth slowly pulled itself into a grin. She grinned back. She couldn't help it, his smile was contagious.

They sat there for quite a while, just staring at eachother and smiling. Booth was glad to see that he was making progress toward her happiness.

Sid broke their little moment by bringing them their food. He gave them a knowing smile, then proceeded to place their plates in front of them, finishing with an "enjoy your meal."

Neither one of them had been very hungry, but when they smelled the food their mouths watered and their stomachs growled. Sid always knew.

**There's chapter two! Hope you guys liked it. Please please please please please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! I'm sorry the chapters are so short. They look longer on word than they do fanfiction. But I hope you guys still like them! And I think this is only going to be a 5 chapter story, and I'm working on the fifth chapter now. Thank you to all the people who review and favorite and put me on story alert! You guys make me happy (:**

They didn't talk much while they ate, just enjoyed the food and eachother's company in a comfortable silence. When they finished their delicious meal, Booth called Sid over and asked for the bill. He insisted to pay, even though they both knew Brennan had _plenty _of money to pay for herself. He was such a gentleman.

They grabbed their things and headed back out to the SUV. They climbed into the car and pulled out o the parking lot.

"So what's next, Booth?" Brennan asked excitedly. Apparently this last one had convinced her that surprises can be good.

"I thought I would let you choose this time. I got breakfast covered, so where do you want to go next?"

"The park. I think a nice leisurely stroll would be good for me. It's very relaxing there," she added, like she was stating a scientific fact.

"Alright, the park it is!" Booth said enthusiastically, a huge smile on his face.

The park wasn't very far away and the car ride passed quickly. Soon they pulled into the parking lot and Booth stepped out of the vehicle. He jogged over to Brennan's side and opened the door for her.

"You don't have to let me out every time Booth, I'm perfectly capable of opening a door on my own," she said, a laugh in her voice. He didn't respond, but grabbed a paper bag and closed the door behind her. He linked his arm with hers, then they headed toward the winding path that lead through beautiful gardens. She looked up at him and smiled. 'This day is perfect,' she thought. It was just what she needed to relieve the stress.

They walked through the gardens for a couple hours, making small talk and having a good time. Bones was right; this was the perfect place to go. They could feel the tension just melting off of them.

They came upon a large weeping willow, the branches hanging so low you couldn't see the trunk of the tree. They shared a look, then excitedly ducked between the branches, ending up in massive space hidden from the outside world. They smiled brightly, and Booth opened the bag. He pulled out two peanut butter sandwiches and handed one of them to her. They sat down near the base of the tree and happily ate their lunch. 'Booth is really spoiling me' Brennan thought. 'I will never be able to go back to work after this."

Booth smiled down at her for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He really was glad to see how happy she was today. He was just afraid of how she would feel when he had to leave her to go back to Hanna at the end of the day. But he didn't want to spoil the happy moment, so he kept his mouth shut and continued to smile at her.

"Thank you Booth. For all of this," Brennan said, breaking the silence. "I'm lucky to have someone like you around to take care of me."

"Aah, don't worry about it Bones. I like taking care of you." As he said this he realized how true it was. His favorite memories were ones where he was spending time with her.

"It's just, I've never had anyone do this much for me," she said slightly sadly.

"I know, Bones. That makes it all the better from me. Now cheer up! I'm doing all this to make you feel better."

She smiled at this and let the sad things slip from her mind, enjoying his company and the comfort which she found in it.

Booth and Brennan finished their lunch and stood up, disappointed that it was time to leave the willow already. They grabbed the bag their lunch had been in, and exited their private little tree-room. As they made their way back to the path they stopped at one of the trashcans along the way to dispose of the bag. Then they re-linked arms and strolled back to the SUV. The walk back took a little less time than the walk there because they had kind of wound their way around the garden, and their path had doubled back. It still took them a little over an hour, though. This gave them more time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, though, so neither really minded. Not to mention it was more time to spend with the other.

They hadn't really talked much the whole way back, just enjoyed eachother's company, and when they finally did make it back they were completely stress free. Booth really did know what was best for Brennan.

They hopped back in the car. By now it was about 2 o' clock, and it was Booth's turn to decide where to go again. As they drove along, it became apparent that Booth wasn't planning on telling her where they were headed. So, she decided to go back to her old methods and try asking.

"Where are we going now, Booth?" she asked hopefully.

"I thought we could head back to my place. Rebecca has Parker this week, and I figured we could relax, have a beer, and I could make you dinner. Unless that would make you too uncomfortable…" he trailed off.

"Well what about Hannah? Is she going to relax with us?" she asked, seriously hoping the answer was no. She liked Hanna and all, but it would be so awkward, and she really wanted Booth to herself.

"Don't worry. She's away on some big story right now, and shouldn't be back till the weekend. So whaddya say?"

"Yes, I think that would be nice."

Booth's apartment wasn't that far away, and soon they were pulling up in the lot. As always, when they got out of the car Booth went around and opened Brennan's door for her. She rolled her eyes, but secretly loved how proper and gentleman-like he was. They entered the building and walked up the stairs. When they got to Booth's door, he pulled out his keys and unlocked it, swinging the door open to reveal the familiar place. It was cleaner than when Brennan had last seen it, which was probably due to Hanna. She didn't want to think about Hanna right now though, so she turned and smiled at Booth.

"You want me to grab you a beer?" she asked. She had been here enough times she knew where everything was.

"Sure. Thanks Bones," he said, smiling back. She went and retrieved the beers. Handing him one, she plopped down on the couch in front of the television. Football was on. She didn't really care for the game, but she knew Booth did, so she didn't complain. Besides, he had been being so unnecessarily nice, she thought he deserved to do something he wanted.

Booth came over and sat next to her, popping open the beer, then offering to do the same for her. She handed him the bottle. "Thanks Booth," she said when he handed it back."

"No problem, Bones." He smiled at her, then turned his attention back to the TV. She watched him for a while with a smile on her lips. He was way more interesting to look at than the stupid game. She loved his expressions when the team made good plays, or did something he obviously thought was stupid. She wished she could watch him forever, but knew that today would probably be the last day they would ever be this close.

**Review review review review! Please. Hope you liked it! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! Only one chapter left… Enjoy! But first I would like to thank all my lovely reviewers (: Thanks guys! Ok back to reading.**

The game ended at five. "So what do you want to eat, Bones? I could make something, or we could order pizza. It's up to you."

"I don't want to cause you too much trouble, but I have really been in the mood for some sort of pasta."

"Alright. No problem! I can do pasta." He headed into the kitchen and pulled out some ingredients. Brennan followed him in. It was the least she could do after everything he had done for her that day.

"Why don't you turn on some music, Bones? We can have some fun while we cook."

She headed to the stereo and picked a random CD from his large collection. She popped it in the machine, and walked back into the kitchen. Soon "Hot Blooded" started playing. She smiled: it was their song. She glanced at Booth, and he was grinning really big, and she could see a playful glint in his eye.

Suddenly he grabbed her hand and spun her in a circle. He had started singing along with the song, and soon she joined in too. They were dancing all over the kitchen, smiling and laughing. Every once in a while he would spin her again, then go off and start dancing on his own. His dancing made her laugh so hard, and when the song finally ended, they were both laughing hysterically and were completely out of breath.

As the laughter subsided, they made their way back to where the food was laid out. They still had goofy grins on their faces, but they didn't care. They were having a great time.

Booth grabbed a pot and filled it up with water, setting it on the stove. Bones picked out some whole grain noodles, and set to work on making the sauce. She had broccoli, bell peppers, whipping cream, and parmesan cheese. She began chopping up the broccoli and peppers and Booth came over to help.

Apparently chopping vegetables wasn't really his thing, because pretty soon he had picked up a piece of broccoli, and thrown it at her, getting it tangled up in her hair.

"BOOTH!" she screeched, grabbing a whole pepper and beaming it at him. He burst into hysterical laughter. Again. Then he grabbed a handful of broccoli, tossing it up in the air so it all rained down on her head.

She screeched again, and this time she grabbed the whipping cream and flicked it so that it would drench him. And it did. The whole front of him was covered in it, from head to toe, and he was just standing there with his mouth open and his eyes wide.

"BONES!" his voice was filled with astonishment. He still hadn't moved from the spot, and his expression was like a deer in headlights. His eyes were HUGE. Then all of a sudden his expression changed, his eyes narrowing. She instinctually took a step back. He followed with a step of his own. She started walking backwards, then turn around and ran. He chased her through the house, yelling at her to come here. She was screeching and trying to avoid him, but he was faster. He caught up and wrapped his arms around her from behind, tackling her onto the couch. He landed on top of her, and she could feel the result of her assault soaking though her own clothing.

She resumed her screeching, and started squirming and kicking and punching from underneath him, trying to get his cold wet body off of her. But to no avail. She finally looked up at his face, and was about to just ask him to get off, but she got distracted by the close proximity of their faces, and the longing that she could see in his eyes. All of a sudden a huge wave of emotion crashed over her, stronger than she had ever felt. She could feel his body pressed up against hers, and his lips were just inches away. But she resisted the urge to kiss him, because she knew he couldn't do that to Hannah. And she didn't want to make their relationship even crazier and more confusing than it already was.

He must have realized the same thing, because he quickly pushed himself off of her and stood up. Then he offered his hand to her to help her up. His expression had gone blank as he walked back to the kitchen. He slowly began picking up the vegetables that were strewn across the floor and tossing them in the sink. Brennan grabbed a towel and began mopping up the whipping cream puddle. When Booth had picked up all the vegetables, he washed them off and placed them back on the cutting board. Brennan took the wet towel and threw it in the washing machine so it would be cleaned next time Booth did laundry.

They finished making dinner quietly, and a little awkwardly. A couple times one of them tried to start a conversation, but the other one was still to resigned because of the recent events that it never went anywhere.

About half an hour later dinner was ready, and they took a seat at the table. Booth had grabbed them two more beers.

"Smells great, Bones," Booth said, trying to break the tension. He was tired of it.

"Yes it does. Thank you so much Booth. For everything," she said sincerely. He really had done a lot.

"Stop thanking me. I was happy to do it." Hearing this in past tense made her realize that their perfect day was almost over. She was definitely not ready for it to end. She had been having so much fun and it had relieved _so_ much tension. After today, he would be Hannah's again, even though she would still be away. She hated that Hannah got him and she didn't, but it was her fault. If she just would have given him a chance! She thought she would never be able to forgive herself for that stupid decision.

"Sorry. I will stop. But it really was very nice of you. Hannah is a really lucky girl." She said the last part quietly, and it was obvious that she wished that he would choose her over Hanna.

"So are you, Bones. We spend more time together than she and I do, since she is always away with work. But I'm still lucky to have her." He really did love Hannah, a lot, but he was having trouble keeping his emotions for Brennan professional, or at least just friends. She had turned him down, and he had moved on. That's it. So why was it so difficult to remember that?

Brennan grumbled in response, and turned her attention to her food. She tried to look completely absorbed by it so that he wouldn't try to start talking about Hannah again. She really needed to learn to be thankful for what she had instead of thinking about Hannah all the time…

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Last Chapter! Savor it. Haha. Have fun reading! And sorry about all the update emails. I had to go through and fix Hanna to Hannah, but I think I made it more difficult than necessary and had trouble fixing it.**

The food had been delicious, but dinner had been rather awkward since Brennan brought up Hannah. After that they hadn't been able to get back into a comfortable flow of conversation.

It was about 7 o' clock now, and Brennan knew that she would have to leave soon. She really didn't want to, but she would at least try to get them back on happy, comfortable terms before she did leave. She thought they could sit on the couch, watch some more TV, and have another beer. That's what Booth seemed to enjoy.

So Booth brought out the drinks, and they turned on the television. They flipped through the channels looking for something good, and decided on Doctor Who. It was a fun show, and seemed like the perfect choice for relaxing and unwinding the tension that had built up. They were both pretty tired since they had had a rather busy day.

Booth was sitting up against the right side of the couch, and Brennan on the left. They were staying as far apart from the other as possible. They didn't know how to deal with the tension, so they were doing their best to avoid eachother while sitting on the same couch.

Brennan was exhausted, and only 10 minutes into the show, she was having trouble focusing on the screen. She was slowly beginning to drift off. Within 5 more minutes she was fully asleep, her head on her hand. Booth looked over and smiled. She looked so cute when she was asleep.

She began gently snoring, and Booth had to suppress a snicker. She must be really tired if she's snoring. He gently shook her shoulder to get her to stop. She mumbled in her sleep and stretched her arms out. Then she laid her head on Booth's shoulder and fell silent. He had to admit he liked the sight and feel of Brennan sleeping on him. His mind began wandering, thinking of him and Brennan in a relationship. He knew he would be perfect for her. Then he remembered Hannah, and reminded himself he loved her, and forced his mind from Brennan. He tried to focus on the show and push all other thoughts from his head.

Just then Brennan groaned and her eyes fluttered open. It took her a while to realize where she was, and when she saw what she was using as a pillow, she blushed, but didn't move right away. She figured if he let her lean on him while she was sleeping, she should be allowed to do the same while awake. Apparently she was right because he didn't ask her to get up or anything.

Just then the show ended. Booth and Brennan looked at the clock. It was 8 now and Brennan knew it was her time to leave. She looked up at Booth from her spot on his shoulder. "I know you said to stop thanking you, but I would like to say it again. Thank you _so _much for everything. This has been a wonderful day, and I find that I am sad it is ending."

He smiled down at her. "No problem. I had a good time too." Once again their faces were just inches apart. All the feelings Booth had been having for Brennan over the past 6 years rushed up to him, and he couldn't stop himself. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips over hers. The sensation left him tingly and full of fire. He kissed her again, harder this time and let the feelings sweep through him.

Brennan kissed back. Kissing Booth was amazing. There was so much tension and so many feelings between them that the kisses were better than any she had ever had. She felt on fire. But she was confused, because all day they had been trying to keep things from getting this personal, for Hannah's sake. And now, out of nowhere he just kisses her. She wasn't complaining, in fact she loved kissing him, but she wanted to know what was going on.

"Why are you kissing me? What about Hannah?"

He looked at her for a while, not saying anything. He didn't really know the answer to that. "I can't help it. I feel the need to kiss you. We've been fighting the tension so long. Too long."

"And what about Hannah?" She prompted.

"I...I," he paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "I don't love her, Bones. I thought I did but I don't. I am going to end it between us." She couldn't read the expression on his face, but his voice had sounded upset and vulnerable. She didn't like Booth sounding like that, it just wasn't right. So, she decided to do something about it: She kissed him with so much passion that their minds went foggy and neither of them could make a single coherent thought. Everything but them was forgotten.

Booth slid one arm behind her back and the other under her legs and lifted her up. He carried her gently to the bedroom and set her down on the queen size mattress. He had waited six years for this and couldn't wait much longer. He crawled on top of her and they resumed kissing, then started pulling on eachothers' clothes.

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

They were lying on the mattress and both were breathing hard. Brennan looked at Booth and he smiled. They were curled up together and both were very happy. Brennan no longer had any regrets, and Booth had finally gotten what he had wanted all along- a relationship with Bones.

They laid there for a while, reveling in the warmth of the other. Then Brennan started to get up and pull her clothes back on.

"Where are you going?" Booth asked. "You don't have to leave."

"I'm going home."

"Why? You can stay here with me."

"I think you need some time to yourself so you can think about your relationship with Hannah." She said the words even though they pained her to say. She really didn't want him to go back to Hannah, but she also didn't want him to realize later on that it was Hannah he had loved all along, and then leave her.

"Stay. I don't need any more time to think."

"I think you do, even if you don't realize it now." Brennan said sadly.

"No, I don't. I have known who I would choose since the moment we kissed today."

"Why? How could you possibly know that? And remember you thought you loved Hannah, too."

"But I don't love her. And I knew I would choose you because I still love you, and I never really stopped," he said with all the love and hope and passion in the world. Then he put all those emotions into one very excellent kiss, and Brennan knew he was telling the truth.

**The end! I really hope you guys liked it! I thought it was pretty fun to write. Please review. Pretty please? I really do love reviews. Also I would like to let you know that I had the end a different way, and that way made the "I still love you" part sound better, but then I realized that how I had it before was not so good because they had sex then discussed Hannah, which is a bad idea, so I changed it.**


End file.
